Saturday, August 28, 2010

Fireworks

I always love to watch fireworks.



Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Sodegaura Obon festival cont.

Jack and I took chairs to enjoy the fireworks and the festival doings.
Above are some of our churches kids who were there too.
The Fukuodai groups dancers. My tennis friend and student from years ago.
Below was the large group of bonodori dancers that were traditional style.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Obon, cont.

The festival at German village consisted of a dancing circle of different groups dancing around to the music. 30 years ago when I last visited a festival, 100% of the dances were bonodori or Japanese traditional dances in yukatas or in the jimbei style wear. However there was only 2 groups of traditional dancers. Above you can see the large group of Hawaiian dancers and below are the energetic jazz dancers followed by the young girls in kind of a pep rally, cheer leader fashion.

Of course no festival would be complete without the mayor and vp speeches! Behind them are Chiba kun in Red and another animation that I forgot who he is!
Here are the airobic dancers again. It was so hot and they were so fast moving. Next post will show the Japanese traditional dancers, who were in the minority.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Obon /Yukata

Jack and I went to the Sodegaura Summer Festival at German Village. I wore a yukata that my mother-in-law made for me.
Posing by the sunflowers on the walk into the village
MIL putting on the obi. I bought a pink one I like better than this yellow, but haven't worn it yet.
Lots of stuff to put on underneath and just too hot to wear it all!

Monday, August 16, 2010

Mei (May)

This darling baby came to visit us with her parents. Her father is my son's cousin and same age.
This baby named Mei, is PIL 4th granddaughter. Their 5th will be born in October! The generation above her was almost all boys.
Another pose of sweet little Mei
Below she is being help by her great grandmother.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

water flowers


In my little fish pond, the water flowers are blooming again. So pretty, but don't ask me the name of them. To me flowers are to be enjoyed not named. Even the fish no one can tell us what they are. I just call them medika, but people tell me they aren't true medika.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Puppy/Swallows

No, we don't have a new puppy. This precious little sweet dashund/chuwawa mix belongs to my friend. Nice to have a puppy near but not be responsible for the shots, piddles, etc.
Every year we have swallows who make their nest in/on our garage. This year we had 5 babies. The heat got one and we had 4 left. Jack saw one had slipped out and he was putting it back into the nest when the whole nest tumbled to the ground and the babies all flew away! But flew back to the side roof to wait for feedings as they were still too little to go it alone. Now they just come back in the mornings to do whatever it is swallows do--hopefully having a breakfast of mosquitos.
Nest on the ground/babies plus some friends on the roof.
Babies in the nest before it fell. These of course are all backwards in sequence.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Party at Peggy's

Birthday girl.
The daughters who attended
Yummy.
In front of Peggy's house.
16 of us foreign wives.